Geological Museum A Remarkable Centinerary

There is no doubt that the Egyptian Museum is the most time-honoured of its kind in the Middle East and Africa. It houses more than 20,000 fossils of wild and marine creatures that lived in Egypt millions of years ago. Besides, a lot of precious stones, rocky and metal samples are on display together with sets of unique artistic and historical masterworks that constitute an international natural, cultural and civilizational legacy.

On the other hand, the museum serves as a research and exploratory center that contributes, in cooperation with research centers and specialized scientific universities, to discovering, studying, defining and restoring thousands of fossils, concomitant with correcting a lot of international errors as regards the history of the origins of animals.

The Egyptian Geological Museum was established in 1901, as one of the divisions of the geological survey departments in the Ministry of Industry. By the beginning of December 1904, it was opened for the public in Sheikh Rihan Street in Cairo, distinguished by its old building with such a unique architectural design. A Rich Library

The museum library is undoubtedly the first and only one of its kind in the field of rare kinds of fossils of vertebrates and invertebrates. Publications found in the library date back to 1778, thus considered of a special importance to researchers and scholars whether those working for the survey department and the museum or geologists in general.


The library is fraught with significant scientific references, thousands of publications of which one thousand date back to 200 years ago, namely the British Encyclopedia, the study of Egypt's geology in addition to the invaluable book Description of Egypt by. the same french scholars who accompanied the french expedition in 1798. Furthermore, a set of rare maps is kept in the library in addition to thousands of national and international specialized periodicals including old issues of the British Magazine (1818), the Indian Geological Survey Magazine (1861) and the Belgian Institute Magazine (1900).

Acquisitions of Muhammad Ali Dynasty What adds to the significance of the museum is the unique display of the acquisitions left behind by members of Muhammad Ali Dynasty, including sets of shells that stand as tokens of high accuracy and artistic peculiarity.

Among these shells, one may find a shell with an engraved logo of the scorits, two shells of snails: one with the picture of King Fouad and the second with an engraved picture of a dance show on the occasion of the inauguration of the Suez Canal. Among the exhibited pieces are four pieces of amber, of which one includes a fossil of an insect that is preserved inside as such, millions of years ago.

Furthermore, the exhibits include a tray made of nickel that was presented as a gift to King Farouq on the occasion of discovering nickel for the first time in the Eastern Desert in 1940. On the other hand, sets of eye-catching coral reefs of different shapes are on display in addition to a unique collection of precious stones, amber, engraved shells and ruby.

A Hall for Rocks and Metals

The museum houses a hall for exhibiting remarkable collections of metals and rocks.

One of these collections is the rare sample of the moon rocks, granted by the international Egyptian scientist Prof. Farouq Al Baz. In this respect, the Egyptian Geological Museum is considered one of only three museums worldwide where this unique sample is found. Besides, the museum combines a collection of samples of rocks of some of the holy places in Hijaz in addition to samples of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.

Furthermore, historically significant rocks are to be found in the museum such as those kinds used by ancient Egyptians in carving statues, obelisks and pottery including Aswan granite, Egyptian alabster, basalt and marble. The museum combines three main exhibition halls fraught with invaluable masterpieces. One of the three halls houses exhibitions of vertebrate fossils, dating back to different geological ages, including fossils found in Al-Fayyoum such as those of Arseenotherium and Moritherium (the progenitor of elephants) that attracts the attention of most of scholars and researchers and fossils of el-egeptopeskis (the first of apes).

Another hall, where fossils of invertebrates are kept, houses remenants of botanical and animal creatures that date back to early geological ages such as nimolet, scales, corals, sponges, snails and cephalopoda. Furthermore, fossils of more than 15 marine, Nile and continental turtles are found in the museum, of which 7 fossils are on display, namely the wild turtle that lived 40 million years ago. Besides, fossils of different kinds of elephants are preserved in the museum such as that of Baliometadon elephant (the progenitor of extinct elephant, one million years ago) and the fossil of phiomeia elephant which is the progenitor of the present Indian and African elephants.

On the other hand, the museum houses fossils of anthropoid apes including a lot of skulls, such as the skull of Miss Lucy (30 million years ago), a skull of a human being with a liver (one million years ago) in addition to other kinds of skulls. Among the masterpieces found in the museum, one may find the bones of a complete fossil of rhinoceros (17 million years) and another fossil of the progenitor of hippopotamus that lived 50 million years ago.

Smiling fish

On the occasion of its centinary, a lot of internationally unique masterpieces were added to the museum acquisitions. The discovery, study and defining of such masterpieces in Egypt helped correct a lot of wrong concepts in the history of biology.

On top of these newly displayed masterpieces come the fossils of the smiling fish which is temporarily called as such till the completion of studying and defining such kinds so as to be certain whether these are fossils of huge fish or mammoth amphibia. Generally speaking, these kinds of fish lived 49 million years ago. Among the exhibits is the fossil of the ape (Boash Baby) which is a 60-cm-tall ape with tall back limbs, jumping exactly like the frog such kind is still found in Kenya, Ethiopia and Southern Sudan. Before being discovered and examined in Al-Fayyoum it was believed that the pregenitors of this kind of apes lived in Kenya 17 million years ago.

Yet, in the light of the new discovery it is no longer a secret that pregenitors lived in Al Fayyoum 42 million years ago.

Furthermore, some pieces of the fossils of the Egyptian carnivore dinasours that lived in Al Bahareia Oasis 94 million years ago are understudy at present and will be exhibited in the museum once being checked on scientific basis.

The Red Sea.. Destination for Nature Lovers Man, in his search for the best, still discovers more, but the most important thing is to re-discover deep dimensions of things we see, feel, and co-exist with.

These things may be organs of the human body or one of the natural elements around us, and may be an enormous part of the earth as in our case; it is the Red Sea. The Red Sea which does separate Asia and Africa and at the same time joins them both together with the third Continent of the old world.

Aesthetic Wealth History recorded much about the Red Sea; as geologists wrote that its formation came after the configuration of most of the earth relief and great geological incidents. Its size gets larger in few centimeters every some years or centuries.

Experts wrote about the importance of its harbours and its role in the world trade and security after the digging of the Suez Canal in the midst of the 19th century. No one had known, before, the importance of this sea as an unmatchable aesthetic wealth in its transparent water, its attractive colourful coral reefs, its beaches and different fishes, and its climate and relief. These are what lovers of beauty, tourism and recreation, and hobbyists discovered on the western coast of the Red Sea, which has been constituting a continuous chain of rare tourist and climatic residence.

The magic of nature beaches of the Red Sea are a wonderful gift by God to Egypt. The pure water of the sea, its multi-aquatic creatures, and the extended mountain ranges, with all their diversity of colours, that parallel the coast of the sea, and that are not separated from the sea waters except by the plains, are most suitable for setting tents up for camps. All these elements are combined together to draw a rare portrait that is enclosed by an unmatchable climate, which is stable in winter and summer. The natural beauty on the beaches of the Red Sea renders the visitor feeling that he is in a legendary trip or a dream.

This is what lovers of the beach have said. Any one who visits the sea, even for one time, must become one of its lovers. As for the sea, its length is about 1,930 kilometers, and area reaches 270,000 km2. Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Israel are overlooking the Red Sea. The highest peak in the surrounding mountains is that of Sinai mountain that goes 2885 meters above the sea level.

A Summer and Winter Resort

The Red Sea climate is tropical that is of 35-41c in temperature around the year while the water temperature is 18-21c in winter and 21-26.5c in summer, so as to be moderate most of the year. Concerning the degree of purity of the sea water, it is matchless. This reflects the beauty of snokeling as you can see to 30m, while diving is available for about 45 m. Amateurs, however, prefer to make deep diving for 12-25 m only.

Tourist Pearls

On the western shore of the Red Sea, there are series of high beauty sites that resemble pearls in order, starting from Suez city in the North until Halayeb in the South.

Here is a brief survey of these sites: El-Ain El-Sokhna: It is one of the most beautiful places that looks upon the Red Sea and the nearest one to Cairo. It is 55 km south of Suez. It is, a summer and winter resort at one level of attraction and charm. It has the most marvelous sand beaches all over the world, besides its water that suits every kind of water sports, fishing, and underwater photography.

Hurghada: It has become one of the most famous tourist attractions in Egypt and the Middle East, to the European tourists in particular, while it began to attain a similar fame of a tourist resort at the rest of other tourist rallies all over the world.

Hurghada acquired this great fame in a short period, as this signals two basic matters: First is discovering the unique tourist and charming value of Hurghada. Second is the rapid availability of tourist and sport facilities in high standards. Hurghada is 395 km far from Suez, and is distinguished by its moderate climate around the year and the availability of all facilities for fishing under water and for all kinds of diving.

It has large zones especially for setting up camps and tents like Sea Land and Caravan that are 40 km away from Hurghada. You can reach Hurghada directly by air from Cairo or any other international capital. Now, you can find in Hurghada large numbers of high standards of tourist villages that could take fame such as Magawish, Gifton, El-Samaka , Jasmine, Hurr Palace, Shedwan, and others.

It has also different standards of hotels.

Safaga: Its name has been related to the environmental therapy for psoriasis. Results have been tremendous, because of the high percentage of recovery for the Egyptian and European patients who came to Safagah seeking medical treatment. Added to this is, the therapeutic tourism which is characterized by many economic and tourist facilities as it is 65 km south of Hurghada, and has a small harbour that receives passengers and cargo ships.

There are phosphate mines near Safagah, so it is considered an important center for exporting phosphate. It is connected with Qena Governorate, South of Egypt, by a paved road that is about 164 km. As for the tourist facilities in Safagah, it has many hotels, rest houses, and tourist beach cabins. El-Qusseir: It is 80 km South of Safagah. It has another harbour for exporting phosphate, and it is an appropriate place for water sports and for setting up tourist and youth camps. Like all other tourist places in the Red Sea, it is connected with the Egyptian cities by direct transportation roads.

Marsa Alam: The Egyptian Shooting Club is in this small city, and it comprises many rest houses and cabins.

135 km South of El-Qusseir, you can find this beautiful spot. It has attained its great tourist fame from the nature of its charming beaches and its water that is associated with fishing sport.

Marsa Alam connected with Edfu City by a paved road which is 280 km long.

Beraniece: It is a small city 178 km South of El-Qusseir, and is one of the best therapeutic tourist places. Monasteries, Antiquities, and Islands. Along the beaches of the Red Sea, there are many other important tourist and monumental sites beside all the above-mentioned tourist places; like Wadi El-Hammamat that comprises important pharaonic antiquities and historical inscriptions, the monasteries of Bishop Pola, Bishop Anthony, and the shrine of Abu El-Hassan El-Shazily, who is one of the famous imams in the Islamic history. In the middle of the sea, there are more than 24 islands that are characterized with a fauna and flora environment; such as the island of El-Zobergid in front of Beraniece shore, the Major and Minor Gifton islands in front of Hurghada shores, and the island of Shedwan that has a lighthouse and it is 35 km far from Hurghada coast.